google.com, pub-2480664471547226, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

The Best Gifts from Schoharie County

Showing posts with label Larry Travis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larry Travis. Show all posts

Official Results: Desmond Claims 49.87% of Vote, 12 Towns in Solid Victory

Written By Editor on 12/5/13 | 12/5/13


The Schoharie County Board of Elections has released their official results for last month's hotly contested election cycle, which shows a solid victory for incumbent Sheriff Tony Desmond over his two fellow law enforcement officers - Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis and Deputy Sheriff Todd Ethington - with 49.87% of the vote in the 2013 race for Sheriff.

Towns that supported Desmond are red, Travis are Blue and Ethington are yellow
Even more impressive was Sheriff Desmond's town-by-town dominance across the county. From his hometown of Sharon Springs to Conesville the incumbent Sheriff carried twelve towns overall, while both his opponents won just two each: Chief Travis in Blenheim and Cobleskill; Deputy Ethington in Jefferson and Summit.
 
Interestingly enough, this marks the second consecutive election where Sheriff Desmond has lost Cobleskill but still managed to build a large enough base of support across the rest of the county to offset the population center's more than fifteen hundred votes, which went by a healthy margin to their hometown candidate this time around.
 
But now that all is said and done, officially, all three men can return to their positions as law enforcement professionals with last November's race in the past and the protection of Schoharie's citizenry, regardless of who they supported, as their top priority in the present and into the future.

Opinion: Both Desmond and Travis Fine Choice for Sheriff

Written By Editor on 10/29/13 | 10/29/13


The Schoharie News brought our readers three informative and wide-ranging interviews with each of next week's candidates for county sheriff back in September, with the end result being a better understanding of where each candidate stands and one very unsure editor of a then small news project.
 
All three offered strong first impressions and came off as knowledgeable in the field of their collective expertise. Sheriff Desmond and Chief Travis particularly impressed me, while Deputy Ethington had a certain charm about him.
 
However, in the end, the office of sheriff is one of the more honorable positions in local government. It carries a distinct job description that ultimately could lead to its occupants harm or even death, as occurred in this county when Sheriff Henry Steadman was murdered by a prisoner who concealed his revolver in 1930, and because of this the individual we put in charge of it must be of the highest caliber. With great power comes great responsibility and as such the decision must not be made lightly.
 
Which is why the Schoharie News is proud to endorse both incumbent Tony Desmond and Chief Larry Travis for Sheriff in next Tuesday's election.
 
We honestly believe that after months of consideration and learning about both men, that either would effectively serve the citizens of Schoharie Count atop our law enforcement apparatus: Sheriff Desmond holds a loyalty and passion for the men and women who work under him that speaks volumes, while no one could touch the respect and admiration that Chief Travis has for enforcing the law.
 
Both men understand the threat that illegal drug use poses to our residents and have effectively waged an offensive on their particular drug of expertise. The result of which has been the removal of drugs and thugs from Schoharie County's communities, with the Sheriff's department combating marijuana and Cobleskill police cracking down on heroin use.
 
Obviously it is impossible to vote for both candidates and only one can win next Tuesday. That decision is ultimately up to a majority (or in this case, likely a plurality) of voters who make their choice at the ballot box and our only advisement is that they take the time to consider both viable candidates and reach a conclusion without allowing outside forces, or fringe candidates, to cloud their judgment.
 
Oh, and as for the unsure editor, his vote next Tuesday is still yet to be determined.


Schoharie County Newsmakers Interview Larry Travis

Written By Editor on 10/27/13 | 10/27/13

The Schoharie County Newsmakers recently interviewed Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis, one of three candidates hoping to serve as Sheriff after November 5th.


Travis Camp Receives $250 Contribution From Former Sheriff Bates

Written By Editor on 10/17/13 | 10/17/13


Former Republican Sheriff John Bates Jr., who has remained publicly quiet since spearheading the failed candidacy of Duane Tillipaugh to the county's Republican committee in June, has taken sides in the upcoming sheriff's election: not by way of public endorsement, but rather by financial contribution to one of the contenders.

According to the New York State elections database for campaign filings, which has Mr. Ethington winning the fundraising battle with over $11,000 raised thus far in the race, Sheriff Bates has not sided with either his former subordinate or his successor, but rather Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis. 

In the form of a individual contribution on September 16th, Sheriff Bates gave $250 to the Friends of Larry Travis committee according to campaign's 32 day pre-general report to the state board of elections. His financial show of support is joined by the county Democratic Committee's $1,000 offering and Richmondville Mayor Kevin Neary's $200 contribution over the same period to Mr. Travis' campaign.

Although the former long-time occupant of the Sheriff's Office has remained mostly quiet through out this election, when compared to his efforts in support of his undersheriff Bill Slater in 2009 or Deputy Tillipaugh this Spring, his financial contribution in support of Chief Travis definitely speaks louder than words.


Travis Picks up SUNY Cobleskill University Police Support

Written By Editor on 10/10/13 | 10/10/13


Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis, the Democratic nominee in this fall's Sheriff race in Schoharie County, has had a busy week thus far: announcing/releasing a new design for his yard signs that are dotting county roadsides and the endorsement of his campaign by the University Police Department of SUNY Cobleskill:



With election day just 26 more days away, Chief Travis and his opponents still have a lot of work to come out on top of the polls, but one this is for sure - all three of them are energized and heading towards the final stretch at full speed.

Travis to Host Campaign Fundraiser

Written By Editor on 10/7/13 | 10/7/13


 
Chief Larry Travis, the Democratic and Shield of Integrity Party nominee in this fall's sheriff election, is hosting a reception and full buffet dinner in support of his candidacy on Thursday, October 24th, 6:30-8:30 pm at Justine's Restaurant in the Village of Cobleskill.
 


Tending to shy away from the traditional political aspects of campaigning thus far, Chief Travis has chosen to focus more on running a positive, law enforcement first platform that has saw him address both the county's fire chiefs and sheriff union over the past two weeks, while keeping his candidacy out of the mud that has engulfed the supporters of both his opponents.
 
This fundraiser is his campaign's first foray into the political realm and it is extremely limited at that, focusing solely on raising funds to carry his candidacy across the goal line with whatever measures he decides are best heading into the final week of the race.

Travis Pick of Cobleskill Benevolent Association Endorsement

Written By Editor on 10/4/13 | 10/4/13


Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis picked up a significant endorsement from the local law enforcement community in late August (just releasing the information publicly yesterday) amid a slew of political support for his two opponents in this fall's election. The Cobleskill Police Benevolent Association regretted that if elected Sheriff he would be sorely missed in Cobleskill, but that he would "perform admirably... if elected."


Out of the three candidates, Chief Travis has remained more or less under the radar - visiting events and greeting voters without attracting a great deal of attention towards him politically - which fits his status as a career law enforcement officer and political novice.

Interview: Chief Larry Travis

Written By Editor on 9/27/13 | 9/27/13


Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis never actively sought out the Democratic county committee's backing for Sheriff, only being approached after Sheriff Desmond took the Republican nomination, and even then decided to delay his campaign's launch until after Labor Day weekend - becoming the last of the three candidates to hit the trail.
 
In our conversation Chief Travis admitted his political novice: at that time he had just received his yard signs, had only visited a few town caucuses and told me he wasn't willing to put his campaign before his job as Cobleskill's top law enforcement officer, although he did collect enough signatures to form the "Shield of Integrity Party," his independent line over the summer.
 
 
Photo courtesy of Travis for Sheriff website
The Issues
 
Travis stressed early in our conversation that Schoharie County faces a "bigger issue with pharmaceutical drugs [such as] heroin, etc."  than marijuana and that it is not just this area but "neighboring counties" that are also dealing with these typically urban, harder drugs as well. During the past year and a half Chief Travis' police force has arrested ten individuals for both possession of and intent to sell heroin.
 
He also informed me of his past support for Bill Slater's candidacy in the 2009 Sheriff's race because of the high level of cooperation between the two departments during the previous administration that "is now lacking" under Sheriff Desmond's watch.
 
SAFE Act
 
Acknowledging that his answer would be based on his perspective as a law enforcement officer, Travis cited the magazine capacity limit and broad definition of assault weapon for why he personally was opposed to the SAFE Act, but that he "would enforce it because the Sheriff's role is not to legislate."
 
In Conclusion
 
When asked what issues defined his election bid, Travis listed: "leadership, community and structure," as both the core tenets of his campaign and the weaknesses of the Sheriff's Department under the incumbent's administration, which he would seek to rebuild. And what of his opponent's decision to seek the Republican nomination that eventually fueled his campaign bid? Simply put: he's "an opportunist." 

Opinion: Keep Politics Out of Drug Enforcement Policy

Written By Editor on 9/20/13 | 9/20/13


Sheriff Tony Desmond, speaking to WNYT in early September, offered this comment concerning a joint operation between his deputies and members of the New York Army National Guard in a pot-eradication mission that led to the destruction of hundreds of marijuana plants: "I would dare say that marijuana is the biggest thing in the county as far as illegal substances."

As an outside observer looking into Schoharie County's struggles with illegal drug use and our various law enforcement agency's efforts to combat it, I see merits to both Sheriff Desmond's hard stand against marijuana and Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis' equally rigid crackdown on heroin use in his jurisdiction.

Chief Travis' force, according to a February article published by the Cobleskill paper, have arrested six individuals for possession of heroin, which has only recently spread to our rural confines, and another four for intent to sell since mid-2012, making it a high priority for the Cobleskill police.

However, in recent weeks, I have noticed a more political tone in drug enforcement debates by the supporters of both Sheriff Desmond and Chief Travis, who are running against each other in this fall's sheriff election, either praising one for their particular crackdown, or criticizing the other for lack of.

And it is really starting to aggravate me.

Both men are law enforcement professionals with decades of experience under their belt and both have successfully targeted a particular illegal substance within their jurisdiction: Sheriff Desmond - marijuana; Chief Travis - heroin, essentially one department is complimenting the other. And while I'm sure there is more work to be done by both forces in combating illegal drugs in this county, there is no doubt that one mission is no more important than the other and that both are vital to upholding the law and protecting our citizenry.

With that said, could we focus on a productive law enforcement plan that involves both departments - with their particular specialties in two of the worst illegal substances we as a county face - along with the stationed State Troopers not only sharing intelligence and working together to fight the influx of harmful drug use, but also in merging their separate missions to form one potent, highly competent law enforcement apparatus to tackle the scourge of all drug use in our beautiful county.

This is an issue where law enforcement and citizen alike should unite behind a broad drug enforcement policy of containing the spread of marijuana, such as in operations conducted by the Sheriff's department, and nipping the dangerous threat of heroin infesting our community like Chief Travis' force has so effectively done, and put aside the political rancor that neither the electorate nor a position as honorable as the sheriff's office deserves.
 

Travis Speaks at Town of Wright Democrat Caucus

Written By Editor on 9/10/13 | 9/10/13



Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis, the Democratic candidate in this fall's upcoming Sheriff's election, spoke before attendees at the Town of Wright Democratic caucus this evening as he begins his campaign push to election day in hopes of defeating incumbent Tony Desmond at the polls.
 
photo credit: Larry Travis for Sheriff facebook page
Mr. Travis' campaign has been off to a slow start thus far, at least when compared to the machine like stumping that Todd Ethington has displayed, but with the political season getting fired up and voters attention spans turning towards the business of electing a new sheriff, Mr. Travis is ready to make the case. 

The Best of the Summer

Donate to Support Local Journalism

CONTACT US:


By phone: 518-763-6854 or 607-652-5252
Email: mountaineaglenews@gmail.com
Fax: 607-652-5253
Mail: The Mountain Eagle / PO Box 162 / Schoharie NY 12157

https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=M6592A5TZYUCQ

Subscribe!

Subscription Options

Site Archive

Submit your information below:

Name

Email *

Message *